Record Fringe crowd is full of newcomers
The fifth annual Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival has entered its final weekend. And, so far, it’s been a hit.
“It’s been going wonderfully,” said Pauline Moffat, executive director of IndyFringe, which began Aug. 21 and runs through Sunday. The festival features comedy, cabaret, drama, dance, magic, storytelling and vaudeville performances in venues along and near Mass Ave.
“We’ve had record crowds — a 25 percent increase across the board for the first seven days. It’s been amazing.”
The average attendance at each show has been 44 people, with some shows drawing as many as 90.
But what pleases Moffat more is that 10 percent of the people surveyed so far by IndyFringe are new to Mass Ave., and 51 percent of those attending the festival are new to IndyFringe.
Moffat said she thinks the influx of new people has been aided by new and improved signs and maps along Mass Ave.
“And we’ve invested a lot of time into social networking, which I think has really helped spark more street activity,” she said. "I also believe the Fringe is now at a five-year mark, so the public awareness is there. They’re not saying, ‘What is the Fringe?’ They’re saying, ’Let’s be part of the Fringe.’ "
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